Discover Thailand (14): Tourism
Thailand is a popular destination for tourists from around the world. The country offers a rich and diverse cultural experience, with beautiful temples, delicious food and breathtaking landscapes. Tourism is an important source of income for Thailand and has a major impact on the country's economy and society.
According to the Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), Thailand is fully open again to foreign visitors after the pandemic, leading to a significant increase in arrivals.
The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) wants the Thailand Pass scheme to be scrapped as of June 1, in order to receive an additional 2 million tourists. It will help Thailand to welcome some 10 million tourists this year.
Thai authorities yesterday approved the termination of the PCR testing requirement for international arrivals from May 1, 2022. Two new entry regimes have also been introduced, specifically adapted for vaccinated and unvaccinated travellers.
'Tourism in Thailand is in a comatose state'
Thailand's Council of Tourism (TCT) has stated that the tourism industry will remain in a 'comatose' state if something is not done soon, adding that the Kingdom needs at least 16 million visitors and 1,2 trillion baht in revenue to wake the industry from a coma.
The Thai government is expected to review its list of “Test & Go” countries following the spread of the Omicron variant, as more details emerged on Monday about an infection in a tourist arriving from abroad.
Yesterday 11.060 international tourists arrived in Thailand
Yesterday, 11.060 international tourists arrived at the airports in Thailand, which is a new daily record. Of these, 9.568 tourists came under the Test & Go program (10 tested positive), 1.256 used the Sandbox scheme (2 tested positive) and 236 went into quarantine (4 tested positive).
Prayut happy with rising tourist numbers
Since Thailand opened its doors to international tourists on November 1, a total of 44.774 foreign visitors have landed in Thailand, according to the Thai government and Prime Minister Prayut is very happy with that.
'Shaky recovery in tourism in sight'
Two weeks after Thailand's reopening, businesses are seeing signs of a tourism recovery, despite disappointing arrivals from international tourists.
The Bangkok Municipality (Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, BMA) is urging entrepreneurs in the hospitality industry to apply for a certificate from the Safety and Health Administration (SHA) to boost tourist confidence as the country opens on Monday. Entrepreneurs must register for this via the thailandsha.com website.
Suvarnabhumi Airport is testing reopening for international tourism
About 300.000 foreign tourists are expected to visit Bangkok in the next two months following the reopening of the capital, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Suvarnabhumi Airport carried out an extensive test on October 27, which shows that authorities are ready to receive tourists.
From November 1, fully vaccinated foreign tourists can travel to Thailand without mandatory quarantine. Here we briefly explain how this works.
From November 1, five more tourist destinations in Thailand will be opened to international visitors provided there is no new major Covid-19 outbreak in the areas until then.
Phuket expects 1 million visitors in the coming six months
Phuket expects tens of billions of baht in revenue over the next six months thanks to 1 million foreign tourists, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), which presented its reopening plan for the holiday island on Thursday.
Reuters news agency reports that as of November 1, fully vaccinated foreign tourists are welcome again in Thailand and then without mandatory quarantine. However, a negative PCR test remains mandatory.
'Entry conditions for Thailand are relaxed: Quarantine is shortened'
The National Communicable Disease Committee (NCDC) will propose a shorter quarantine period for foreign visitors to revive the tourism industry and boost the economy.
CCSA: Bangkok and other cities may not open to tourists until November 1
Bangkok may be able to reopen on November 1 if enough residents of the capital are fully vaccinated, the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) says.